The Wayward Godking (14 page)

“Do you recognize this place?” The Knight asked him.

“No.” Mark shook his head. “I have a memory of such a place, but there are many such places in the world. It could be real, or it could be Memorex.”

“What?” Luke frowned at his brother.

“Something Sophia likes to say. She doesn’t know what it means, but thinks it is funny,” Mark explained. “I think it means it is hard to tell if this is a real place or simply a false memory.”

“You are truly innocent, brother.” Luke chuckled and pushed himself back from the hedge before standing up and brushing the leaves from his clothes. He could not get used to the extreme personality differences between this brother and the original Mark Andrew. They walked back to where Lily and Merry waited for them.

“There is a cottage up ahead in the meadow,” Luke told them. “Someone might be there. They might be able to help us, or they may not be so friendly.”

“I know the cottage,” Merry told him. “You recognize it, too, don’t you, Luke?”

“I know what it looks like, Merry.” He frowned and looked over his shoulder. “I know what we just saw in the Seventh Gate, and I know that things are not always as they seem in the ether.”

“Memorex,” Mark added gravely and Merry frowned at him.

“We could get stuck here for years.” Luke chewed his bottom lip. He had read the archives. He knew the story of Simon d’Ornan and Meredith Sinclair. He knew the stories of the children who had come here and been lost for sixty years. Even the Mighty Djinni could not help them and John Paul… but then, perhaps, they had not wanted to help them. Perhaps they knew…

“Well, we have to do something,” Lily spoke up. She was very glad to be free of the caves. She had been on the verge of losing her mind several times before they had come clear of the oppressive rock passages full of unseen skittering things and foul odors. Now, she was using the mundane argument of propriety with her daughter-in-law simply to keep her thoughts from straying. “I say we go and find out who might be home. Perhaps, they can direct us to the nearest village or town or at least point us toward the road.”

“She has a point,” Mark agreed. “We can’t hide out in the forest forever. We need to discover what is to be done. I need to find Sophia.”

“Sophia, again,” Lily spat the name. “Mark Andrew, what about Meredith, your wife?”

Mark turned his deep blue eyes on his brother.

“Luke,” he said as he dragged him away from the women. “If I am not mistaken, this lady…
our mother
, has been dead for several hundred years, no?”

Luke nodded. His brother had a slightly Italian accent, a strange by-product of learning to speak English from Sophia Cardinelli. He sounded more like Lucio than the Mark he knew.

“If we take her from the underworld, would she survive? Is she real? Or is she…”

“Memorex?” Luke supplied the word. “I don’t know.” He glanced at the woman who stood glaring at them now. “Your papa… Sir Ramsay, I mean… he brought several more people from Purgatory in times past. Some of them are still working for our half-brother, Lemarik. You may remember them. Templar Knights of old. Mounted warriors? They have traveled between the Abyss and the overworld without any apparent problems. They are not indestructible, but, according to Lemarik, they are very easy to keep up. They don’t really need to eat or drink, and they never bathe or change clothes, yet they stay clean. They don’t cut their hair or trim their beards, yet they stay perfectly groomed. It is not something I like to dwell on, but they are our only references. I would venture to say she is like them. If she goes with us, we will certainly learn.”

“Then you must bring her up to date,” Mark told him. “We cannot go on pretending Luke Andrew is John Paul, and I am married to Meredith and Meredith is Merry’s twin sister and Sophia is a prostitute from Edinborough. The only problem is I don’t know what to do about John.”

“John?” Luke frowned. “John Paul?”

“No John Larmenius,” Mark whispered and glanced at her again. She was growing angrier by the moment, and Merry looked impatient as well.

“Ahhh.” Luke nodded. “I think she should continue to think of Sir Ramsay as John for the time being. We’ll let our…
papa
, figure out what to do about that.”

“Agreed,” Mark said.

They stood looking at each other for several long seconds.

“What are you waiting for?” Mark asked him.

“What?” Luke’s frown deepened.

“Go on and do it.” Mark pushed him a bit. “You have the power. I don’t.”

“I thought you were going to do it,” Luke said in alarm.

“I am only a mortal man,” Mark objected. “You are the King. You are the Knight. I could baptize her, perhaps.”

“I don’t have any powers like that, Mark,” Luke shook his head. “My brother… our father is the only one who retains all the powers of the Council. Did you forget? The Lord Kinmalla only allowed us to escape judgment because we are nothing.”

Mark’s shoulders fell.

“Then we have a lot of explaining to do,” he said after a pause. “I suggest we go on down to the cottage and knock on the door. If they are friendly, we’ll ask for a bite to eat and directions as Mother suggests. If they are not friendly, well… we’ll… just take our leave.”

“Agreed.”

((((((((((((()))))))))))))

“Can you not do anything at all?” Il Dolce Mio asked as he tore off a chunk of brown bread and dipped it in his cup of milk. “You are the Great Lucifer. Angel of Light. I have heard and read many things about you.”

“I am but a simple messenger, little one,” Lucifer said. The angel poured another round of wine in his cup and surveyed the meadow before them idly twirling a long, reddish blonde lock of hair between his fingers.

Louis Champlain, Thaddeus, Oriel and Konrad were down the way a bit where Leviathan still slept soundly; its broad back rising and falling gently as it snored softly. Ashmodel was inside the great beast, trying to find a way to wake it. The Champlains were idly knocking golf balls into the blue. The savory smell of roasting meat drifted on the warm breeze. The five ‘Berts’ lounged about under another of the pavilions, playing some sort of board game, laughing and talking quietly amongst themselves about what only the gods might know. Sophia and Menaka were sitting with Levi and Galen Zachary on a blanket under the spreading arms of an old oak near the pond. The scene was one of idyllic tranquility. Apolonio tended the cooker, where he was trying his hand at smoking some Italian sausages. The time wore on and on and none of them had any idea how long they had been there. The sun never set, but they never grew tired or sleepy. Even the baby stayed awake without the usual fussiness and crying attributed to tired babies. The Boggan captain and his troops rode through from time to time, but they were used to the sight of the bow-legged creatures now. Paddy’s clurichauns were busy arranging and re-arranging the bandstand, practicing their repertoire of folk music and dance tunes; endlessly drinking, joking and laughing and generally making the most of their captivity with a wary eye out for trouble.

The angel perked up as Christopher walked toward them with Armand in tow. None of them had seen the Queen for quite some time.

“We’ve been scouting out the woods,” Christopher said as he sat down and poured himself a glass of milk.

Armand stepped up on the bench and sat on the table beside the King.

“We walk and walk and end up back here,” the former Knight told them. “It is fruitless to try to walk out of here. There is great magick surrounding this place.”

“That much is obvious,” Lucifer agreed. “The King and I were just discussing our situation. I have noticed Lord Nergal and his companion, Lord Marduk, have not been seen recently. They and the Queen’s troops have the ability to come and go at will. If we are in the depths of the Abyss, then they have the ability to leave this place and bring back supplies. I saw Captain Plotius with one of the Tuathan princesses not long ago. The Tuatha de Danaan are not given to wandering about in the Abyss. He must have brought her here.”

“Why would Plotius have a Tuathan princess?” Armand asked. “I believe the Boggans are accustomed to
eating
the elves, not treating them. Was she a prisoner?”

“This one appears to be very special,” Lucifer shrugged. “At least, he seems to think so.”

“I am worried about my people,” Il Dolce Mio spoke up. “I have been gone too long. Steppet will be declaring me dead by now. They will elect a new King, and I will lose my throne.”

“Your people are very resourceful,” Armand told him. “They will wait until they know something concrete.”

“They may be a bit too resourceful.” Il Dolce Mio looked up at him from under his brows. “And they are far from patient. I am concerned they may do something foolish without me there to guide them.”

“Surely, you do them a great injustice in saying such a thing, Your Highness, if I may be so bold.” Armand looked at the King in surprise. “Your people have survived for thousands of ages without you.”

“That is true, and you are right to rebuke my words, Armand, for my people are very capable of living without me or, at least, they were…” the King looked down at his hands as he played with the fringe on his boots.

“What do you mean, Your Grace?” Christopher asked him.

“I brought many things from the world of men to the elves. Much of it was harmless knowledge of wonderful things. I taught them about photons and the true nature of the stars and the moon and the sun. These things are marvelous works and the understanding of them causes no harm, but there is other, more dangerous knowledge I should not have learned, moreover, I should never have brought such knowledge to my people.”

“Oh?” Lucifer perked up. “What knowledge could cause such a stir? Knowledge is power. Power is good. I have always said so. The more one knows, the better one is prepared to face the challenges of the future or the failures of the past.”

The angel stopped speaking and then looked about at the faces of those around him. They were all staring at him as if he had lost his mind.

“What is wrong with knowledge?” He asked and met each gaze with confusion.

“God reveals knowledge to the hearts of those who are ready to receive it,” Armand told him quietly. “One cannot give knowledge to the uninitiated unless they are deemed worthy and ready to understand and receive it. To do so, could be disastrous.”

“Ahhhh.” Lucifer smiled and nodded. He pulled his camouflaged jacket about him as if it were a royal mantel and tossed his long hair over his shoulders. “You are referring to a tale from long ago, young one. A tale distorted by the Romanized church of the Christians. I have nothing against them as they believe. In fact, I rather think them a bit boring as religions go. I have seen some extraordinary theologies in my time. Human sacrifices… now there is a fine practice to be avoided at all costs. The Father does not look kindly upon it, but human sacrifice is just one of many strange practices attributed to the worship of gods and goddesses. We have also mutilation, immolation, flagellation, prostration… even prostitution in the name of worship. Ridiculous, but true. Yes, the Christians of today are quite tame, and I would have to attribute it to the basic tenets of the teaching they purport to follow, that being the teachings of the Christ, Jesus the Nazorean, a grand schemer that one. Perfect for those who would truly follow him, but a great source of endless possibilities for decimation and reconstruction on selfish frameworks. In other words, with the right resources, anyone can become a prophet or an imam as the case may be, and lead hundreds and thousands and even millions astray. I led one person astray and have paid a high price for having done so. I ask you, is this fair?”

“You are referring to the seduction of Eve?” Christopher could not help but ask.

“Eve. Yes, you call her that name. Others call her by some other name, but none really know her name for in those days, one did not simply give out one’s name unless it was necessary. There is much power in names. Much magic in words… The Logos, the Word.” Lucifer seemed to be thinking of a time long past. He looked up into the clear sky and then smiled. “Even I do not know her name. Perhaps she had no name. There was even a time when such things were unimportant and unnecessary. If she had a name, she did not reveal it. She was the flower of humanity. A truly innocent creature, without guile, without cunning. Without suspicion. Furthermore, she was love when love was new to this world, and I knew nothing of such love.” He suddenly clasped Christopher’s hand in his and held up their hands. “This!” He showed them their hands. “This is most important. To feel the pulse of life in another and know they share this universe with you. To know you are not alone.” He dropped the Knight’s hand and Christopher looked at it suspiciously. “Touching is underrated,” he added and smiled wickedly at Christopher.

“You’ve got to be kidding!” Armand blurted the words.

“Kidding? Ahhh, jesting. No, no.” Lucifer shook his head. “It is as your Uriel has stated so many times:
the company of women is a dangerous thing
and has led many astray from paradise.
Or some such.” Lucifer waved one hand in dismissal. “But it is not simply the charms of women that led the angels astray. We were also interested in men. Either way. Dangerous.
Very dangerous
.”